Bani and Agno: Pangasinan Mapping Part 2

On Sunday, second day of our second time to map Pangasinan, buddy and I left our host's residence in Bolinao early. As agreed, we donned our costumes to at least look good in our photos. The househelp prodded us to at least eat breakfast before we leave. Such heartwarming gesture of hospitality extended to us by our hosts! Needless to say, I am deeply moved.

After breakfast, I ran to the side of St. James the Great Parish Church to buy binungey, a kakanin which resembles suman except this is cooked inside a bamboo. We would eat it later in Alaminos.

Immaculate Concepcion of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish Church (credit: Wikicommons)

Our first stop for the day was Bani, a small town but with around 20 heritage structures. Their church has a rather irregular shape and was being renovated when we visited.

retablo of Bani Church (credit: Wikicommons)

Gabaldon Building (credit: Wikicommons)

Pangasinan State University (credit: Wikicommons)

 In the park across Bani Church we saw a historical marker erected on March 18, 1979 in memory of the 13 martyrs who died fighting against the Spanish soldiers on March 7, 1898. Now, who were these 13 martyrs? What were their background? What motivated them to fight?

After Bani, we headed to Agno where I was able to climb up the belfry. The view from the top of the church is always breathtaking and one imagines as if it were the olden times, how the belfry can also function as watchtower to see if there were advancing armies about to attack. Oh well, I am also into military stuff so pardon my wild imagination. :P

Saint Catherine of Alexandria Church (credit: Wikicommons)

view from Agno Church choir loft (credit: Wikicommons)

 As in Bani, Agno also has a Gabaldon Building. We were also lucky to have found an old Spanish bridge except all that's left are the pillars. Locals say that on top of these were wooden boards. Anyway, a modern one runs parallel to this old bridge.

Gabaldon Building (credit: Wikicommons)

Don Angel Sison Bridge (credit: Wikicommons)

 Since these two towns are fairly small, we only spent a short time here. We then proceeded to Alaminos for lunch. Needless to say, I slept while in transit despite getting 5 hours of sleep the night before. We were still lucky because the weather in Western Pangasinan was not that hot.

Note: All the pics I took were uploaded to Wikicommons but am reusing them here anyway.

Previous: Bolinao: Pangasinan Mapping Part 2
Next: Alaminos and Dagupan: Pangasinan Mapping Part 2

Bolinao: Pangasinan Mapping Part 2

In April, I went back to Pangasinan with the same buddy I was with in my first mapping of the province. The second time around we experienced the same difficulty in getting bus tickets as we did the first time.

Our first stop this time was Bolinao, known to travelers for its lighthouse. Of course we included that in our itinerary as well as a visit to the beach.

It's funny how the world seemed so small. While having breakfast at a canteen, I saw the last name of a former officemate and I remembered that she had relatives in Bolinao. So I messaged her and asked if her uncle could provide assistance to us. The town was celebrating a festival so we almost never got the help we needed but her uncle was really a generous person who even provided us with a tricycle, instructing the driver to take us to Bolinao's Enchanted and Wonderful Caves, Patar beach, and Bolinao lighthouse. Plus, we got free accommodation and dinner at their house. I'm so touched at how people can be so kind despite the prevalence of cruelty in this cold dark world.

we didn't know there was a fiesta! Beautiful surprise :)

Go Bolinao!!!

 A sea of busy people greeted us when we arrived at Bolinao. Turned out they were having a festival! Cool surprise! We stopped by for some time to see their street performance then resumed mapping the town.

binungey, suman-like treat in bamboo

Old Spanish Well

the imposing St. James the Great Parish Church

Gabaldon Building 

old church bells in Bolinao Church (yes we climbed up the belfry!)

 In the afternoon, there was only the lighthouse left to map. We were in for another pleasant surprise when my officemate's uncle arranged a tricycle tour for us. We were taken to Enchanted Cave first where we marveled at the giant fossilized clam shells. Later on we took a dip in the cave's cool waters. Wanting more, we transferred to another cave named Wonderful Cave. I liked waters here more than in the previous one. Also, it's got less people so buddy and I were able to talk a lot about love, friendship, and human relations in general.

giant fossilized shells in Enchanted Cave

 And then the lighthouse!!! We spent some time taking pictures there since the sun was already setting with extra wonderful colors. It would be a waste if we were to leave without beautiful silhouette photos!

Bolinao Lighthouse against an electrifyingly clear blue sky

 And until the time the sun had fully disappeared down the horizon we stayed at Patar Beach. I love how the brown yet light sands felt against my skin. My buddy and I buried ourselves in the sand for a while before fnally leaving the place with smiles on our faces.

sunset at Patar Beach

We had dinner at our gracious host's house and after that, a cousin of my officemate accompanied me and my buddy to the town feria. I'm not a big fan of fairs but it's nice to once in a while see for myself what goes in there.

town fair (photo credit: Hannah D.)

darts (photo credit: Hannah D.)

The fair hosted a lot of rides and I do not even know nor recall the names. I only went for the ferris wheel which got me a headache afterwards. I did got 4 out of 5 shots in the darts, winning a pack of cheap chips for it. Then I took advantage of the karaoke machine and sang two songs: Join the Club's Nobela and F4's Meteor Rain. What is nice about singing here is that people do not know your ugly voice and so will not remember you if ever you go back. LOL

Sooooo, who wouldn't love Bolinao???

Manaoag: Pangasinan Mapping Part 1

After a quick mapping of Binmaley, we went to Dagupan for a quick lunch at a carinderia in the transportation hub. It's got my favorite adobong pusit and the free bulalo soup was one of the best I've had.

We hopped on a van to Manaoag which is known for its church Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Manaoag. I've been there when I was a high school student when I was still a super devout Catholic. My mom and her Catholic friends had a sort of field trip then and she took me with her. She told me amazing stories about how photos of the image of the Virgin Mary would appear blank. At that time, I didn't own any camera so poor me couldn't try it out.

The moment we saw the church, we were overwhelmed to see a big crowd. It felt like visiting Antipolo Church in May! And the immediate surroundings of the church! How commerce seemed to fluorish as one sees many products being sold: woven stuffs, fans, oils, religious articles, candles... I was baffled at how people can consider doing business in a sacred place.

Church of Manaoag

 The past few weeks prior, I had also been busy looking for a travel buddy to go to Manaoag with me since I have been so desperately in need of miracles at this time in my life while the Light is slowly fading and I felt helpless. This was the perfect chance to participate in mass and I asked my buddy if she could map on her own while I stayed inside the church. We were to meet after an hour.

choir loft

 She said yes and so I was able to hear Sunday mass. I always consider it important to visit churches when I travel and to hear mass as much as possible. In Manaoag, I offered a fervent prayer, hoping for a big miracle.

altar

 I don't know if the Heavens will grant my prayers but I have decided early on that whatever happens, it is the Will of the Heavens and I dare not contest it. I have put my faith in the Supreme Being knowing His immense goodness.

exposed bricks at the Parish Office

As we leave Manaoag, I remember a favorite Bible verse: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Previous: Binmaley: Pangasinan Mapping Part 1
Also read: Lingayen, Pangasinan Mapping Part 1

Tekken: Blood Vengeance

It's been a long time since I last watched a movie at home.

So after going through a very stressful first half of the year, I badly need some time to relax and clear my mind off things. Just wanna get away from it all for a little while. My sleeping patterns have changed and I have been sleeping little since the beginning of the year. I have also been going home late at night due to meetings and other extracurricular activities, much to my parents' constant worry.

I chose Tekken: Blood Vengeance because I also miss playing video games. Just recently when I attended an org meeting, the coordinator chatted endlessly on our personal interests and we have a LOT in common. We LOVE Diablo, Final Fantasy, Nightwish, Jay Chou, animé, etc. Talking to him made me realize how I have been giving up much of my time for others instead of engaging in my hobbies. Don't get me wrong, I love doing volunteer work but there are aspects of it that I don't like, like preparing the expense report. It's a hassle! >,< (But we need it to get reimbursed...)

Pardon my senseless drifting again...

The movie begins with a fight between sisters Anna and Nina which ended without any conclusion. The two sisters both hire one young girl each to spy on Kamiya Shin, the only one of the many students kidnapped earlier for a biological experiment. Xiaoyu was selected to spy for Nina and she meets Alisa, an intelligently programmed robot in the form of a cute pop idol-looking girl.

two cute girls escaping from military robots on the back of a cute panda

Xiaoyu investigates the kidnapping case that happened in her school a few years back. The students were allegedly experimented on and Shin, named 78M of the Mutare Experiment was the only survivor. Her close friend Kazama Jin was also taken for the same experiment.

It is interesting to note that Alisa shows signs of being human especially in the scene wherein she and Xiaoyu were in Mr. Lee's mansion and Alisa blushing, tells Xiaoyu that if their will is strong enough, they can top the Mishima family war, and that if her feelings are honest and true, then she will be able to rescue Shin. Xiaoyu counters by questioning Alisa's feelings, if they were real or just programmed, to which Alisa replied that true love makes someone human.

Also Alisa shows signs of being more human when she questions the morality of family members fighting each other. She wonders about the possibility of her creator being the same as the warfreak Mishima clan which engages in human genetics experiments.

Sisters Anna and Nina meet again. Disappointingly they didn't engage in a fight this time.

Alisa and Xiaoyu learns from Shin himself that he's got the world's first immortal cell which renders his body invulnerable to death. This was the reason why the two factions fight each other, to get hold of Shin's power. Shin lures everyone to Kyoto Castle for a final showdown among three generations but is killed by Heihachi. (Just what the heck were the others doing, not even trying to prevent Heihachi from killing Shin...)

Angered, Jin releases his Devil Gene and engages in a fight against Kazuya and Heihachi. Heihachi seems to be having the upper hand at first until the last minute when Jin's continuous punches send him down Kyoto Castle. Then it's just between Jin and Kazuya in devil form.

Kazuya in devil form

Although the movie doesn't say it, Alisa's creator seems to be Jin because Jin's voice commands are followed by Alisa without question. This happens when Alisa tries to protect him from the attacking Kazuya. Kazuya steps on her and destroys her, much to Xiaoyu's grief. Jin awakens his devil form to put an end to the cursed Mishima bloodline.

Jin in final devil form

With Kazuya defeated, Heihachi springs back to ruin Jin and Xiaoyu's moment. (O.O) [I can't believe that with the extra cool graphics, this movie does not invest in good storytelling!] Heihachi reveals the true form of the Kyoto Castle, that of a gigantic monster reminiscent of Diablo in Diablo 2. [So now with his winged form, Jin looks like an archangel fighting a huge Diablo.]

So while Heihachi thinks he controls Mokujin, he is wrong. The Mokujin ignores his appetite for destruction, having seen the strong bond among Panda, Xiaoyu, and Alisa as they try to protect each other. 

Alisa's final punch to save the day

And who would have thought that a teardrop from Xiaoyu will be enough to revive a robot [feels like watching a Disney movie] who will then give her last punch to Heihachi-cum-Mokujin to save the day. Jin says farewell, saying he will wait for Xiaoyu to defeat him.

As for the ending, Xiaoyu shares her dream of having an amusement park with Alisa. The two agree to enter the Tekken Tournament.

Read: Tekken the Motion Picture

Binmaley: Pangasinan Mapping Part 1

While on our way to Dagupan from Lingayen by bus, we passed by heritage houses and so my buddy and I decided to get off at Binmaley first to do one quick survey before heading to Dagupan.

Triangle

At first glance at the church you will see nothing special. But what made us stay was the belfry. The belltower has exposed bricks and you can easily see its old age. For both me and my buddy, it's a beautiful wonder.

Parish of Our lady of the Purification, Binmaley

chandelier

Would you believe that despite it looking crumbly it's still strong? We climbed the tower but not all the way up because the ladder was scary. >.<

Binmaley churchtower

We also got to enter a heritage house here. At first the owner was hesitant to let us in but I used my charm (okay I don't have any charm... I don't know what convinced him!). So anyway, we got a little tour of the house but I'm not posting pics here in my blog as part of the agreement. It's still a private residence so I respect that.

Previous: Lingayen, Pangasinan Mapping Part 1

Next: Manaoag: Pangasinan Mapping Part 1

Lingayen: Pangasinan Mapping Part 1

Last March, I was set to go to Laguna to map on my own because my buddy was too busy to accompany me and I was already worried I might not be able to meet the requirements and May was fast approaching. But during a meeting, a fellow volunteer whom I hardly talk to and who also had problems setting schedules with her buddy asked me if we could go map together instead. Since I also wanted to map Pangasinan mainly because it's a big province with many towns which means many churches, I happily said yes!

We had misadventures while in the bus terminal, being uninformed of the schedules. So we had to try the inconvenient way (i.e. lots of commutes instead of just one comfy bus ride). It doesn't help that the bus we took had very uncomfortable seats, you wouldn't be able to sleep a wink! So when we arrived at Lingayen, the first thing we did was check in at President Hotel then set out to map while it wasn't that hot yet.

Epiphany of Our Lord Parish Church, Lingayen

In the middle of mapping we stopped by for halo-halo break and because the small kiosk was strategically located under a comfy shade, both of us almost slept right then and there. When we couldn't take it anymore, we decided to go back to President Hotel for early lunch and it was funny how both of us fell asleep while in the dining room and the waiter had to call us and strike the porcelain bowls like gongs many times just to wake us up. Of course I was already in a bad mood then because I hate not getting much shut-eye.

We ate in silence and after that, headed to our room. I took my much-needed afternoon nap while my partner recharged her phones and was busy contacting the tourism officer assigned to help us out. At least I got some 30 minutes nap before we set out to map again. :)

The mapping activity bore fruits so I quickly forgot about the heat and how tired I am. We saw two Gabaldon buildings inside Pangasinan National High School!!! And how I love the arches!

One of the two Gabaldon buildings inside Pangasinan National High School

 Aside from heritage houses, we also found the ruins of an old colegio for girls. It is now enclosed in a private property but we were allowed to go check the ruins. Only the structural framework was left since the Dominican sisters ripped out materials from the edifice to construct a new school somewhere in San Manuel town.

ruins of the Colegio del Santissimo Rosario

Other heritage structures of note are of course the Municipal Hall which is the most beautiful of all that I've ever laid eyes on. Bonus is that people can go inside and be awed at how elegant the interiors are. Another good thing about Lingayen City is that you rarely see people smoke and the area is very clean. It doesn't feel like one is in the Philippines LOL! I wish all towns and cities will follow Lingayen's example.

interiors of the Municipal Hall

 We were also surprised to find an auditorium which is dubbed as "CCP of the North". I hope eventually they cultivate classical music or better yet, folk or local music. I would love to attend performances here one day.

Sison Auditorium

It was also my first time to go inside a prison house. It was an old structure and we were able to glimpse the life of prisoners there. At least they are being productive by engaging in craft-making activities which are sold as souvenirs. Bonus is that the main materials used are used plastic bottles.

At night, my buddy and I spent considerable time at the beach lying on the sands and just talking about different things. It's our getting-to-know-each-other moment and I was happy to find an old soul. I hope we get to be real friends for life. Except our bonding moment was ruined because mosquitoes were suddenly flocking towards us and at the end of the night I got a LOT of bites. Ugh!

beautiful sunrise at Lingayen beach

 The following day we rose up early to catch the sunrise at the beach. It was beautiful. Lingayen Beach is one of those underrated beaches.

sweets at Pasalubong Center

 Before we left Lingayen for another town, we stopped by the Pasalubong Center. I bought 3 bottled bangus and all of these were wonderfully made. They can even rival foreign brands!

bottled bangus

 Also it was a delight to see that Pangasinan boasts of many other crafts as well:

bamboo speakers

swords

bags

cleaning materials

 Let's buy LOCAL!

Next: Binmaley: Pangasinan Mapping Part 1

Third Visit

So last week I was able to visit her again. The moment I stepped inside her niece's house, I saw her smile which almost got me to tears. She was able to talk without much difficulty now, unlike in my previous visits when she would just stare at me and move her head to answer yes/no questions. Before, I would just talk to her niece for updates, what she's eating, how many times a day she's eating, any changes in her overall situation, etc.

But this time, she was remarkably happy. She has just taken a sponge bath when I arrived. And I don't know why but maybe there's a mix of relief that our efforts are bearing fruits, that maybe there is still hope after all... I couldn't stop tears from falling down my cheeks.

It felt so awkward because I'm always known as a strong person. I seldom cry in public. I NEVER want to cry in public. But that time was different. I choked up on words as I tried to stop crying but let it go anyway and what the heck, never mind what she or her niece says. Sometimes when emotions are repressed, you can only hold them in for long and you'll eventually burst. I think that's what happened.

And I cried even after I went out of their house, while I crossed the bridge to get to the tricycle terminal. Lucky me the sun was already setting and I just wished people would be too busy to notice my tear-stained face. While inside the tricycle, a girl sat beside me but luckily she never as took a second look at me and the motor was noisy so I had the privilege to cry out my heart.

Except that even when I transferred to a jeepney tears still wouldn't stop. I was so embarrassed the whole time but I got lucky when I was on my way to Trinoma to meet up with my sister. Of course, I wouldn't want her to see me crying, too. Talk about pride... LOL. So while inside the bus, my emotions finally subsided and I calmed down. Whew!

My sister treated me to Pho Hoa, one of our favorite restaurants. Without second thought we ordered our favorite beef noodles and fresh spring rolls. YUM! I'm always amazed at how food, especially those that I love, can change one's moods and create a happy feeling inside one's being.

Music Therapy

So lately I turn to music to soothe my brutally bruised heart. We're now on the 5th month of the year and so many things have happened and most of them bad. I will try my best to see the good though since I must be able to learn something from the experiences. Still at this point, the sharp pains prevent me from understanding things and to accept things as they are.

I went out with boys but they turn out to be just that--- boys. Immature and cannot handle someone like me. So never mind. I felt like I just wasted time. On second thought they made me realize what I should look for in a man.

One project has just ended but I'm one of those who look forward to season 2. I hope the project gets approved for another year. There have been petty quarrels, politics  you know. But that aside, I'm just thankful not to be part of the Board since I volunteered only to do what I want and nothing else, caring nothing for politics. Oh well, come to think of it, those who engage in dirty politics are most often the ones who contribute little or nothing at all. Coz they're so busy politicking that's why. I'd like to be more productive and use my time well instead for self-growth, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually.

Someone's been trying to pursue me romantically because according to him I'm hardcore, strong. agile, smart, and empathetic. Nah. People praise me too much but sorry I do not believe in those. He's someone I met in a trip. Me? Hardcore? You don't know even know me (...) [so] don't say you love me, baby (insert M2M song here). Probably seeing I'm not someone to mess with,  he slowly slipped away until he no longer messages me on Facebook.

With many things going on, I started another personal project and so nowadays I make it a point to play the violin everyday even for just a few minutes. I finally found the courage to play Bach and Mozart. Maybe a little more confidence from playing pop will push me to greater heights one day.

I don't know why but lately the pull of music is extra strong. Maybe my soul craves for some healing and as they say, music is the language of angels. Playing music has become a therapy, a cure for the stagnant soul.

Just the break I needed to clear my mind off things I don't need in my life. Extra baggage makes things difficult, something I learned from my constant travels. Music and a barrage of prayers to the heavens for a loved one.

_______________________________
Oh and I forgot, reading THIS article yesterday made me feel better. Because I can truly relate but what the hell, I'm not as needy and I can stand on my own two feet. So to those who walked out of my life, good riddance! :P

Mother's Day 2015

The first week of May I suddenly had the urge to visit the light of my life and I knew better than ignore the call. I always believe in following the dictates of the heart even if reason is against it. 

So I visited her and was aghast at how thin she is now. She looked so much like an aunt who thinned down a lot despite being a huge eater. And now both sport the same short haircut. The first thing her niece who is now taking care of her said to me is that she is dying.

I am not surprised, but it felt sad hearing that from another person. I learned that her body developed four cancer types: breast, stomach, lungs, and bone. I am not surprised. I have long suspected that cancer has spread and I have begun suspecting she has stomach cancer when she started everything she ingests.

I can still remember the stories they told me when I arrived from my second Pulag climb in January this year. My sisters, mom, and the Light all went to Quirino Grand Stand to join the massive crowd that welcomed Pope Francis. One of my sisters almost fainted so she just spent the rest of the day at a Starbucks café while the three drowned in the sea of people hoping to catch a glimpse of the Pope. They say they walked quite a distance from where they parked the car. The heavens even rained hard on them but their faith kept them out in the open.

A week after that, on the last week of January, we received news of her daughter's death. She traveled a long distance, 12 hours at least, to get to her daughter's wake and arrange for the funeral. While in the province, we would hear about how stressed she is because apparently the family of her daughter's husband is trying to get her money using her daughter's death as justification. I just couldn't believe that people like that exist! Even the Light's natural grandchildren do not care for her and only remember her when they need money.

I knew from back then that in case she is retiring I will cut her off from these beasts and will provide for her. Unfortunately the diseases came like a swift ambush in the night. She grew quiet and pensive when she got back, refusing to eat most times and preferring to stay inside her room. Depression must have crept in at the loss of her only daughter. But we, my sisters and I couldn't break in. She built a barrier around herself that's too hard to penetrate. Sweet talk won't even work.

But because nobody's home most of the time and everybody else is busy, we were relieved to hear that a relative, her niece, is willing to take her in. The Light's eldest grandson came to Manila and we assumed he would take care of his lola while the two lived in the Light's niece's house. We even gave him some money as allowance before we parted ways, driving the Light with him to the niece's house. The following day, we were shocked beyond words that this grandson packed his bags and left for his province, despite the Light's pleas not to leave her. 

I cannot fathom how people can be this cruel. I cannot help but judge. It breaks my heart knowing this, for I know how deeply hurt she is at this final betrayal. Her grandchildren who never even sent SMS to her on her birthday and only do so when they ask for money which their grandmother would send to them, these same grandchildren whom I even once said to myself that I will help send to school when the Light retires (but now I am retracting after seeing this evil)... I do not know how they were raised by their parents. It angers me to see them so ungrateful and so oblivious of the many sacrifices their lola has gone through for them.

Her sad story, a cautionary tale, makes me cry everytime I remember the events that lead to the day of our separation. It felt unfair to be unable to do something for the one you love and all you can do is to cry, as if tears can do something to make the situation better. 

As I gently touched her on my last visit, ever so gently for fear I do harm on her fragile body, I had to fight hard not to cry. At this point the last thing I want is for her to see me cry. She's seen me cry far too many times all these years and I wouldn't want her to get stressed with me now.So I had to leave early, lest tears flow freely and unable to stop.

The days leading to Mother's Day saw me looking for the photos of us together. There is one photo in particular which I love: the one wherein she wore a fashionable dress in way back in late 80s and holding me on the table. She looked like a mother to me in that photo. But I failed to find it. (Just how useless can I get?)

So I will just try to remember the other details and hopefully sketch the photo from memory.